New Hayward Field Opens for Competition
The pandemic delayed its opening by 11 months, but the first athletes will race on April 2.
After two years of construction—and a grand opening delayed by a pandemic—the project to raze and rebuild Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene has finally reached the finish line.
The track opens for its first meet on April 2 with the Hayward Premiere, an event for top college athletes.
The new facility has an estimated price tag of $270 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, and it was funded largely by Nike founder Phil Knight.
The project was not without controversy. Longtime Eugene residents and fans of track & field had hoped a renovation would preserve the historic Hayward Field grandstands that had been in the neighborhood for close to 100 years. Instead, the grandstands were torn down to make room for a state of the art facility, which has 12,650 permanent seats and is expandable to nearly 25,000, in order to accommodate the 2022 World Athletics championships. In June, the facility will host the NCAA championships and U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.
Runner’s World got an inside look at the new facilities this week. Here are some of the coolest new features of the brand new Hayward Field.
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Hayward Field Tower
The 10-story Hayward Field tower houses the offices of University of Oregon track and field staff and an observation deck. The street side of the tower features the images of four athletes—Steve Prefontaine, Raevyn Rogers, Ashton Eaton, and Otis Davis—and famed Oregon coach Bill Bowerman.
Bill Bowerman Statue
The statue of Bill Bowerman, the Oregon coach from 1948–72, used to reside at the top of the final straightaway. It has been moved to the 200-meter mark in the updated Hayward Field.
The North End
The north end of the track, facing south, has a small number of permanent seats. For large events, like the world championships in 2022, temporary seating will be erected on the north side of the track and will nearly double the stadium’s capacity.
New Seating
All the seats in the new stadium are cushioned, with plenty of legroom, a feature that was lacking in the historic version of Hayward. ADA seating is available throughout the stadium.
Laned Concourse
Three lanes of track run on the concourse level of the stadium, giving Oregon athletes a sheltered 500 meters for running during rainy Eugene winters.
Concessions
Two concession stands honor Oregon athletes: English’s Garden is named for sprinter English Gardner, and Ashton’s Eatins is a bow to Ashton Eaton, two-time Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon.
A Nod to the Original
A piece of the previous Hayward Field track is mounted on the wall inside the stadium. Athletes can touch it for good luck on their way out to compete.
[Eugene, Oregon Was Nearly Ready to Host the Track and Field Olympic Trials. Then Coronavirus Hit]
Past Oregon Legends
An illustration inside the training area under the concourse shows the major (male) figures in Oregon track coaching history. Current coach Robert Johnson appears on the far right, Vin Lananna is second from right.
The Track
A nine-lane track replaces the previous eight-lane version.
Indoor Practice
Oregon pole vaulters can practice indoors year round at Hayward Field.
Alberto Salazar
A photo of Alberto Salazar during his collegiate days adorns one of the entrances to the upper level seating. He was a multi-time All-American runner at Oregon, but he is currently serving a four-year ban for antidoping violations as a coach.
The South End
Athletes can exit the track at the south end, giving fans in those seats a closeup view.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
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